USC's Thompson finds comfort in confidence

Dylan Thompson displayed the look of a deer in the headlights last season when he saw action in relief of Connor Shaw in the first game at Vanderbilt, completing zero of his three passes.

By the end of the 2012 season, though, South Carolina's rising junior quarterback became a name embedded in Gamecock lore.

Thompson went from Shaw's backup to the hero of the rivalry game against Clemson and the Outback Bowl against Michigan.

That brought instant attention to a player who was once just a two-star prospect with few offers. Handling all the pats on the back and well wishes from fans can lead to a young man losing focus.

Not Thompson.

"Man is going to say good and bad about me, and if I play terrible, everybody will hate me," Thompson said. "And if I play great, everybody will love me. That's always going to change. The thing I've always said is God's constant. That's what I keep my eyes on there."

His faith, and confidence, are a driving factor for Thompson, who entered spring practice last week as the No. 1 QB on the roster. Shaw is out until June after having offseason surgery on an injured foot that led to Thompson's starting against Clemson and becoming an unlikely star.

As of now, Thompson, who came to USC in the same class as Marcus Lattimore and redshirted in 2010, isn't a typical backup. With the experience he acquired last season, the team is feeling no drop off this spring without Shaw, who is 16-3 as a Gamecock starter.

"Dylan's come in and had some success, and he's a completely different kid," USC QB coach G.A. Mangus said. "Also, he's earned it. He's made himself. He studies the game; he watches tape; he wants to be a good player. It's a different makeup.

"I think all of us are more comfortable with the fact that we've got two good quarterbacks who can win us football games. I know I am. It hasn't always been that way. They've both proven they can win and I think the entire football team has got confidence in both of them."

So what will the Gamecocks do next season? Will they use a two-QB system or will Thompson sit behind the fleet-footed Shaw for one more season? Those questions won't be answered in March or April.

Mangus said "that stuff will all take care of itself."

Thompson believes the Gamecocks are "in great hands with either guy" and that he and Shaw fully support each other.

Whatever happens down the road won't change the fact that Thompson is receiving valuable reps as the first-team QB right now.

"It's a little different. Obviously you're with the No. 1 guys all the time," said Thompson, who threw for 1,027 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2012. "It's an added bonus of being out here, just getting better with the guys and getting more comfortable with the guys that are out here."

In two starts last season, Thompson threw for 640 yards and six touchdowns with just one interception. He beat East Carolina 48-10 and Clemson 27-17. In the bowl game, Thompson earned playing time because of his performance against the Tigers and split time with Shaw, throwing for 117 yards on 7-of-10 passing. Late in that game, Shaw hobbled to the sideline, opening the door for Thompson to lead USC down the field for a 32-yard touchdown pass to Bruce Ellington with 11 seconds left. That play lifted the Gamecocks to a 33-28 victory.

"Dylan's always had a good demeanor," USC coach Steve Spurrier said. "You don't have to worry with him, but he tries to come out here and get better everyday. He likes throwing. He likes taking his steps and pitching it around. He's getting more and more snaps so he's enjoying it."

Thompson knows he must get better, no matter if he's a starter this year or next. His completion percentage was 51.9 percent last year, and the right-hander has had trouble rolling to his left and throwing.

"I didn't complete near the number of balls I wanted to last year for us to be good," Thompson said. "I'm trying to just get to where I'm making as little mistakes as possible."

Thompson's unlikely rise from raw project to 2012 hero happened because Mangus saw something in Thompson when he visited USC's summer camp while Thompson was still a QB at Boiling Springs High School. Mangus said he saw an athlete there, one that made the Shrine Bowl, but he wasn't sure what position Thompson would play.

"Dylan's got both (heart and mind) and that can get you a long way in this game, a long way in life period," Mangus said. "And he's got that ‘it' and that want to and that drive. I'm proud of him.

"I've never offered a guy off what somebody else thinks, ever. When he came to camp, we felt like he was worthy (of a scholarship offer), and more importantly, our kind of kid, too."

Thompson's yet to let them down in any area, and his coaches have some tough decisions to make behind center this fall.

"Anything in life, I feel like, if you're going to have confidence you're going to do a better job," Thompson said. "Coach Mangus and coach Spurrier — I know everyone says this — they just do a great job in preparing us. If you're here, you're going to learn because that's the way they coach. I've been a big beneficiary of that."